Mercy Medical Center's New Acute Care Unit Named in Honor of Hospital President & CEO Thomas R. Mullen

Mercy Medical Center’s newly constructed 32-bed acute care unit, developed in response to Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan’s call to increase bed capacity in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, has been named in honor of Mercy president and CEO Thomas R. Mullen, and his wife, Rosemary, Executive Vice President Dr. David Maine and Sister Helen Amos, RSM, Executive Chair of Mercy’s Board of Trustees, have announced.

The $12.5 million unit, located on the 17th floor of The Mary Catherine Bunting Center, Mercy’s inpatient tower, will be known as The Thomas R. Mullen/Rosemary C. Wahler Medical/Surgical Unit. Mr. Mullen is retiring this month after more than 28 years of successful service to Mercy.

According to Dr. Maine, the naming of the new unit recognizes “Tom’s many contributions to Mercy. When Tom first arrived at Mercy in 1991 as Chief Financial Officer to work alongside Sister Helen, Mercy was challenged to remain relevant as a small, urban hospital. In the years that followed, Mercy was transformed into a nationally recognized regional health system through the creation of new Centers of Excellence led by renowned physicians in Women’s Health, Orthopedics, Cancer, Digestive Health, and more,” Dr. Maine said. 

“Under Tom’s leadership, Mercy witnessed the development of The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Center in 2003 and The Mary Catherine Bunting Center in 2010. Early on, Tom also recognized the need to work with Mercy’s physician leaders to provide comprehensive health services closer to the community. The result was the creation of one-stop-shop primary and specialty care hub sites, circling the Beltway, offering convenient access for patients across the region,” Sister Helen said. 

With the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic earlier this year, Mr. Mullen led Mercy to be the first hospital in the State to seek and receive Emergency Certificate of Need (CON) approval from the Maryland Health Care Commission to construct the new hospital unit. Construction began swiftly with an aggressive 75-day deadline and was ultimately completed by Whiting-Turner in 64 days from the time of State CON approval. 

“Rosemary and I are greatly humbled by this honor, which reflects the work and dedication of so many during a time of national crisis. As I prepare to step down from Mercy’s top office, I can say that Mercy is blessed with outstanding physicians, providers, nurses, staff and a strong team of executive leaders, all committed to moving Mercy forward for many years to come,” Mr. Mullen said.